ALBUM REVIEW – NEW STARTS: MORE BREAK UP SONGS

If you’re looking for a break-up album this shouldn’t be your first choice. More Break-up Songs is the debut album from Darren Hayman’s newly led band New Starts and feels like an immediate misstep. The influences of The Breeders and The Velvet Underground, among others, can be felt throughout the project; however, I think they […]
Here is our roundup of the week’s new releases. Melt Banana                  3+5       A record that synthesizes elements of a variety of Extreme Musics, Hyper-Pop, classic Punk, vintage Metal, and Noise. It partakes of Japanese culture overall, especially the subcultures of gaming, anime and underground music. Kato Hideki & Kramer             The Walk          A record that […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 23 AUGUST 2024

ALBUM REVIEW – BHAJAN BHOY: PEACE FREQUENCIES / HEALING FREQUENCIES

The latest manifestation of Ajay Saggar’s prodigious workload sees the release of two sessions recorded for American radio stations, WFMU and WGXC, for his solo project, Bhajan Bhoy. These were recorded in the summer of 2023, prior to his US tour in the Autumn. Unlike most radio sessions, rather than promote the current album, he […]
A satisfying plateful of new releases as summarised below. Fulu Miziki       Mokano EP     Afro-futurist band whose name roughly translates as “music from the garbage”. Their equipment ranges from guembris built out of computer casing, to jerry-can drum-kits, keyboard inventions from wood, springs and aluminium pipes, and old flip-flops used as pads by plastic tube-wielding percussion […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 16 AUGUST 2024

ALBUM REVIEW – SUSANNA: MEDITATIONS ON LOVE

Love is undoubtedly the number one subject for pop songs. Of these, the dominant themes are the euphoric rush of early love or the bitter remonstrances of break-up songs. Norwegian composer, Susanna’s, latest album ‘Meditations on Love’ takes a slightly different approach with a focus on the challenges of maintaining a relationship. With a trilogy […]
On their sophomore record, Wunderhorse deliver proof that every tune they hum turns to gold. Jacob Slater’s sweat-soaked intensity lurches from Cobain to Young just as a moth would flit between two guiding lights. Its gilded grunge sounds fresh from the stage, still honey-eyed and snarling. The album’s lead single and eventual namesake ‘Midas’ comes […]

ALBUM REVIEW – WUNDERHORSE: MIDAS

ALBUM REVIEW – THE SOUNDCARRIERS: THROUGH OTHER REFLECTIONS

It is undeniable that The Soundcarriers carry distinct 1960s elements to their sound. To adapt the title of Jon Savage’s excellent book about the period, they reflect the time the decade exploded. ‘Through Other Reflections’ is a cosmopolitan collection brimming with sublime chamber pop melodies twinned with multiple esoteric influences such as Tropicalia, Middle Eastern […]
Although fewer in quantity, Silent Radio guides you through some impressive blasts of sounds released this week. OSEES               Sorc 80              They introduce brass to create a sound they describe as “Sort of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners meets Von LMO meets The Flesh Eaters meets the Screamers kinda punk junk.” F*cked Up       Another Day  It’s their […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 9 AUGUST 2024

ALBUM REVIEW – DARK TRANQUILLITY: ENDTIME SIGNALS

Melodic death metal is one of the most popular metal subgenres. The combination of melody and harshness is adored by metalheads all over. Sweden has a melodic death metal legacy. The country has produced some of the best bands to play this subgenre. In Flames, Arch Enemy, and Dark Tranquillity as well. Endtime Signals is […]
We have trawled through the forthcoming gigs in and around Manchester so you don’t have to. We believe that if we are going to recommend a gig to you, then it should be exactly that, a recommendation. There’s always plenty of great gigs going on in Manchester, too many to cover them all, but here’s […]

GIG GUIDE: AUGUST 2024